It took me almost twenty years, but I finally realised what makes Golden Mile “Special” Yong Tau Foo special!
When I posted my first story back in 2006, I got there too late and missed out on some of their more popular items. I vowed to return again soon — though that “soon” turned out to be 19 years later! (kinda reminds me of a popular Chinese song)
Oh, I’ve tried over the years, but my clinic sessions never let me get there while their cauldron was still full of stuffed goodies. And on the one day I could go in the morning (Sun), they were closed! On this most recent trip, I finally made it just in time to snag their last two bowls — at around 1.30pm! (They tell me they were having an exceptionally slow day!)
Second Generation Hawkers
This time, I had the privilege of speaking with Mr. Chng Fang Khiang, 62, who’s been serving their legendary Yong Tau Foo since completing his National Service in the late 1970s. But the story begins even earlier! His father, Mr Chng Siew Hern, first started selling their stuffed delicacies from a humble pushcart along Jalan Sultan in 1958.
Can you imagine? Back then, you’d get three pieces for just 10 cents! When they moved to Golden Mile Food Centre in 1975 (the year it opened), inflation had brought the price to seven pieces for $1. That was still an incredible bargain by today’s standards.
English (US)